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January 11, 2015

Before we delve into the heart of today's post, I want to thank you all for your terrific recent blog comments so far this year. Things haven't been the easiest for me on the health front lately and I've not been able to stay on top of all the comments I've received here, nor my blog feeds, as a result. I'm feeling a whisper better now though and hope to get back to my usual levels of activities on those lovely fronts from this new week onward.

Yesterday marked the halfway point until my next birthday. That means there’s six long months still to go until the brilliant warmth and sparkling sunlight of mid-July fill our days again. You might as well tell me that it's a century away, for it feels as though such is the case, while we're stuck here in the midst of a bitingly cold January. However, as I've said before, and I'll say again here right now, chilly and dark though it may be, I don't hate winter at all.

There are perks and charms - the serenity of fresh fallen snow, say, or the fact that one actually wants the oven to be on for hours so as to help warm the house further - to this first season of the year, but acknowledging, embracing and even celebrating those good points doesn't mean that we can't yearn for summer (or to take a trip south of the equator and enjoy the hottest months of the year right now with our friends on the other side of the world).

Longing, like worrying, may pass the time, but it doesn't actually achieve anything. Luckily though, we can perk up our wardrobes and menus with lively colours and dishes that celebrate the spirit of spring and summer now, if so desired.

Undoubtedly one of the most iconic signs of spring's return (which won't be for at least one to three or even four months still, depending on whereabouts on the planet you live) is a gloriously lovely rainbow. Nature's reward for surviving a downpour or full on storm and a symbol as old as time itself of hope, renewal and (quite literally) brighter tomorrows.

On a rather snowy, dreary day recently I came across the following seriously delightful vintage recipe recently on one of my favourite Flickr streams for vintage images, File Photo, and knew that there was no way I could hold off until spring or summer to share it. The punchy, sweet, beautiful pastels at work in it perked my spirits up quicker than downing ten shots of espresso, while also brimming with mid-century vintage charm that was just too good not to post on the double!

As I almost alway say when a recipe calls for shortening, an ingredient which doesn't see a great day of play in most people's kitchens these twenty-first century days, if you're not a fan, by all means swap in butter, margarine, or your favourite vegan margarine style product instead in cake and/or frosting alike. Likewise, if you're not comfortable using raw egg yolks in the frosting, ditch them and simply use your favourite egg-free or seven-minute frosting here instead (I can’t help but think that a sweetened cream cheese frosting would be scrumptious, especially with the spice layer at the bottom).

The flavour combination at work in the three layers here is nice, and in a way it suits fall and winter well, but I'd be tempted to swap in chocolate cake for the spice layer on the bottom, or to replace the lemon extract with orange or almond, if I was going to leave the spice tier in place.

Of course, you can easily make this lovely 1950s cake with just one or two layers, if so desired, and I can't help but think how marvelous it would be as a cherry chip or strawberry cake, too. In which case I'd like tint the frosting pink, not yellow, and perhaps adorn it with chocolate buttons or walnut halves (and presto, just like that, you've got a great Valentine's Day dessert on your hands!).

Deep into the very heart of winter though we may be, unable to sway Mother Nature into giving us weather warm enough to tan in just yet, we can inject a similar sense of upbeat warmth and happiness through fun, kitschy pastel desserts like this. They serve as important reminders that spring will eventually show up again, rain puddles in tow, and with it a whole season that looks a rather good deal like this fabulous 1950s Rainbow Cake itself.

28 comments:

This makes me want to bake a cake right now! I don't know if I'll make this particular cake, but a little something for the folks at work might be nice...Also, I really hope you feel better soon! I imagine it must be very rough for you right now, not being able to do a lot of the things that you love to do, so I hope you find yourself on the road to recovery quickly.

Thank you sweetly, my dear friend. Winter always puts me in the mood to bake up a storm. We're hunkered down inside most of the time anyhow, why not bust out the spatula and cake or cookie pans? :)

It can be yes, for sure, especially with the hours I do strive to put into both my blog and shop, but after so many years (12.5 now) of being severely chronically ill, I've learned that one just has to roll with the punches, do what they can to try and make "good days" happen, and find create ways to still make the best of the extra rough times (say, reading books in bed on vintage topics which may later translate into inspiration and/or research for posts). I'm taking things very easy this weekend and hope to get back into a more productive swing of things soon (fingers crossed).

Ah, you've just made me see the light on something when you say longing, like worrying, doesn't achieve much... yesterday we were disturbed by a man nailing up a 'for sale' sign on our house (we rent) which we had absolutely no prior inkling of. It was very upsetting, as we love this house and I can't afford many other places in this area where I need to be to commute to work (I have a long journey to London). Events have since conspired to indicate it *could* be a mistake - our letting agency knew nothing about it either... but we won't know until tomorrow. So this entire weekend I have worried my head off, because that's what I do, but you're absolutely right, this is completely pointless. Worrying won't change tomorrow's news. And I've still got the rest of the afternoon to do something useful. This is a very long comment that has very little to do with what you've actually posted about here - apologies! You can tell it's on my mind... but back on the theme, I've spent this afternoon distracting myself with blog posts and it's made me feel loads better. I love seeing all the weird and wonderful recipes you post here - so thank you for that :) CC x

Goodness, I think that would worry the socks off just about anyone, sweet dear. I'm very sorry that your weekend has been riddled with so much stress and concern. I will keep my fingers crossed that that it is indeed a mistake. I don't know about the laws regarding such matters in the UK, but here there are definitive legal guidelines regarding that a landlord must inform a tenant if they plan to sell their (the tenant's) house and then the renters/lease holders, have two or three months (it varies in different provinces, I believe) to continue to reside there in most circumstances. I mention this just in case you need to look into such matters on your end.

Please don't apologize in the slightest. I'm touched that you wanted to share something so private with me and wish there was more I could do to help ease your mind or help you deal with the outcome, whatever if may be (I'm always here if you need to talk privately by email).

Aww, you're very welcome!!! I do so love finding (and sometimes making my own versions of) these charmingly quirky, fun, classic - you name it! - vintage recipes and sharing them here. I keep a running list with keywords alongside each link, so that I can easily search for one to suit a given holiday, month, special event, topic, etc. Sometimes though, I just post what I've discovered lately because it's too darn fun not to! :)

Again, know that I'll be thinking about you and pulling for a positive outcome here.

VERY well said. i enjoy your sunny outlook. and that picture gets my mouth to watering, although all i do around Christmas is eat sweets, it's not like i need any. perhaps i'll write this down and use it later. i do like a good vintage cake recepie.hope everything is going well on your end, Jessica, and that you winter has been as lovely as ever :)

Thank you sweetly, dear gal. True, true - a big cake like this so soon after the Christmas season may be gilding the dessert lily a touch, but it was just too cute and cheerful not to share. One can always tuck it away for Easter, if desired. :)

Some ups and downs to this new year already, but nothing so unpleasant it warrants going into detail, so I certainly can't complain. I hope that life is smiling on you, my dear friend, and that your week is off to a beautiful start.

You could super easily ditch the lemon, no worries. Include another flavour that appeals to you - say coconut or strawberry - instead or simply use the two other layers. It is a somewhat bold pairing with the chocolate and I don't think it would be to everyone's liking.

Your cake sounds delicious!!! In my pre-celiac disease days, I loved Jaffa Cakes, which I first discovered and ate when living in Ireland (2004 - 2006).

I hope all is well on your end this week, dear Natalie. Many thanks again for all of your wonderful comments, I sincerely appreciate them.

Thank you very much, dear gal, that really means a lot to me. Chronically Vintage will hit its 6th year in April and so long as my health permits, I definitely plan to keep it up well beyond 2015, so hopefully I can bring you oodles more fun recipes - and other diverse vintage related topics - for ages to come! :)

Countless blossings my dear - this cake is divine.With few simple ingredients, and nothing to irritate a delicate taste of yours truly.. I think this just might be the candidate for my next cake project. Now, that will not be next week (we're having our familie's Saint Protector Day next week); since I do like to make something I've tested over and over - no mistakes can be made for this day. :)

Hello dear Jessica how are you?Contrary to your country here in southern Brazil, is very hot, intense summer. You can not go outside without a hat and sunscreen. Awesome! I live in a small town where it is common the cultivation of fruit trees on the sidewalks, are in the time of mangos, bananas and acerola.I found the beautiful cake with these colored layers, a classic recipe. Enjoyed their tips to replace the ingredients. I just love cakes, you could eat every day, but as I am overweight have to go slowly.Loved the recipe! May you have a happy winter dear friend! Tons of hugs, I wish a great weekend!

Oooohh, what I would give for a few days of sizzling, scorching, meltingly warm summer weather like that again. It will return (and then I'll pine for winter - 'tis human nature), but not for many months still. I've always found it so fascinating and cool that the seasons are in reverse in each hemisphere. I'd love to visit your side of the world one day and experience a hot, sunny Christmas for the first time. That would really be a wonderful experience for someone like me who has always had chilly Canadian ones. Would you like to experience a cold one some time yourself?

Oh, dear Jess. I am sincerely sorry to learn that your health is playing tricks on you. I will send you lots of good vibes. Remember your weekly day off, it is the day where your batteries are charged, literally. I am sure your health will be benefit from it too. I am just like you, I don't hate winter either, I just think it is way too long and we get way too little snow in Denmark. But we are going to Austria on a skiing holiday in February, so I will see lots of snow soon. I don't ski, I will enjoy the silence and myself. In Denmark there will go at least four more months till spring, so it really seems like a century right now. What a lovely cake! I will save it, as always, and thank you for telling me what to swap shortening with. I have never known what it was and guessed a kind of margarine, but wasn't sure, and it is quite essential for a recipe. Today, I mostly use butter, since it is a pure product and with the prices of margarine, I can afford giving a little more and buy butter instead. Tomorrow (my weekly day off) I will work on items for a "handmade" section in my shop - tadaa! :) Wishing you a great day and a great health, sweetie. :)

Hello sweet Sanne, I swear, I have your voice (or at least what I imagine your voice sounds like :)) in my head and it is truly helping me to remember to take a day off every week (or thereabouts). I really appreciate your care and personal insight on this front and believe that knowing you're out there encouraging me to step away from work will be of great help to me in the long run.

So true! Winter is way to long! We're lucky if fall holds out until Halloween here (I went trick-or-treating in the snow at least a couple of times as a kid), then it's winter until March or April in our area (May in some other parts of the country - I even had snow in June once when I lived in Calgary, Alberta). Spring is fairly short and rainy, summer is fabulous, then we get a blink-and-you'll-miss-it long autumn before Old Man Winter returns. I would imagine things are much the same in Denmark.

How exciting that you're going on a skiing trip next month! I hope you have a fabulous time!!!

Many thanks for your wonderful comment. I so enjoy the lovely conversations we share through them!

Very much so! You could easily change up the icing and candy colours to suit a themed party or simply to make them more to most chap's liking. Be sure to check out the vintage recipes tab at the top of the site (below the blog header) for lots more fun vintage cake recipes that might do the trick for Luke's special day, too.

I am so sorry to hear you have had health issues. I can relate, 2014 was a very difficult year for me. I have osteoarthritis and struggle with depression, and I had a bout with C Difficile, a bacterial infection, for the entire month of July, and I understand and empathize with others on health issues.

The cake looks really good. Sending you a warm hug and much love, and I will keep you in my thoughts and prayers. Thank you so much for your posts, they are so uplifting and enjoyable.

Sweet Linda, thank you very much for sharing about some of your struggles in 2014 with me. I'm deeply sorry to that you're fighting the chronic illness fight as well. It's a taxing, difficult road to walk and not something I'd wish on my worst enemy. C Dif is nothing short of pure evil. Goodness! You poor dear. I hope with all my heart that you never have to face it again and that 2015 will smile upon you with as many positive health days as possible.

That is such a happy looking cake, I love the colours and the styling of that advert. I like all the different flavour combinations and decorating ideas that you have given. You are very good at tweaking the vintage recipes you find, very imaginative! I am sorry to hear that you have not been so well, I hope that things speedily improve so that you can enjoy the weekend.

Thank you sweetly, my dear friend, that is such a touching, wonderfully nice compliment (especially because my life's goal before I became chronically ill at age 18 was to train to become a professional chef and thus cooking and tweaking recipes has always been near and dear to my heart).

The first couple of weeks of this year were rougher on that front (big time!), but thankfully in the last three or four days, there has been a bit of an upswing and I've been using it to take photos (for future shop listings) like absolute mad! Now this weekend is going to be all about sorting and editing (always minor of course with shop photos - one wants them to be as a true to life as possible) a good chunk of those and getting more listings up in the very near future.

Thankfully, save for my ear infection, I'm over the slew of colds, the flu, and strep throat that I had in the fall/start of winter, so that's helping a lot, too and I'm optimistic that I might be spared further viruses this season (famous last words though, I know! :D).

I think of you often, my dear friend, and really hope that you're having a good January.

How interesting that you wanted to train as a chef when you were younger. Although it may not have been what you had planned but I think you bring good food to people when you discuss these vintage recipes. I am very glad that the germs have left you alone for the time being, I think you have had your share of them this winter! I think of you often too. I seem to have taken a while to get it all together after Christmas but I am there now!x

I'm Jessica, a lifelong lover of all things antique and vintage, especially those from the 1930s, 40s and 50s.

This blog is my visual scrapbook in which I record and share my thoughts on the multitude of sources, people and products that inspire and feed a modern gal's addiction to the past. I also post about the vintage clothes, hairstyles and make-up looks that I adore wearing.

Stay a spell and have a blast as we explore the incomparably fantastic world of vintage history and fashion together.

All images used on this site are credited to their original posters/creators/sources,
however if at any time you would prefer not to see one of your images here, please email me and I'll take it down right away.

PS...I just wanted to say thank you very much for visiting and to tell you that you're equal parts awesome and beautiful.